| "Let" is an imperative addressed to your audience. It means
"do not hinder or impede or block" as you would expect
given the meaning of "let". It's a second-person imperative.
"May" is the expression of a wish or desire, with no requested
action on the part of the listener(s) or speaker. It's in the
third person, but I can't figure out the mood (subjunctive,
indicative?).
Consider the paraphrases from the same deep structure--they show
the person involved:
You will let X happen.
The bluebird may do X.
-John Bishop
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| may aux.v. Past "might", present "may" for singular and plural
1. To be allowed or permitted to
2. Used to indicate a certain measure of likelihood or possibility
3. To be obliged to; must
4. Used to express a desire or fervent wish
5. Used to express a contingency, purpose or result, in clauses by "that"
or "so that"
[ME, to be able < OE m�g, 1st and 3rd person singular indicative of magan, to be
strong, be able.]
let v. let, letting, lets. - tr.
1. To grant permission to; allow
2. To cause to; make
3. Used as an auxiliary in the imperative
a. In order to express a command, request, or proposal
b. In order to express a warning or threat
4. To permit to enter, proceed, or depart
5. To release from or as if from confinement
6. To rent or lease
7. To award, especially after bids are submitted
- intr.
1. To become rented or leased
2. To be or become assigned, as to a contractor
[ME leten < OE l�tan. (with a macron over the ae-ligature)]
I happen to disagree with AHD as to whether the 4th and 5th definitions of the
transitive verb are really independent definitions. I see them as using either
of the first two definitions in a phrase with the prepositions "in" and "out",
respectively.
Wook
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